Responsible for being on call ?

There would be less need for these expensive consultants,if the administration would let you do your job,instead of being on call, helping unit nurses,etc....etc...etc... If only we could walk in each others job roles for a short time...

I had worked from 3/4/08 to 10/3/08 without being on call, or working the floor - then there was an 'executive' decision to have those things added to my job description. It was stated that being on call & working the floor was always a part of my job description, but it was never put into effect.

So, when they did put it into effect, I resigned.

I figured this: I could do the job of any of those floor nurses if I needed/wanted to, but not one of them could do my job!! So why should my work suffer & get behind, to help work the floor -- nobody ever 'helped' me if I needed a hand.

I also took a job as MDS Cordnator. it would have been fine if I had more than 1 day a week to accomplish 5 days of work... I was continually pulled to the cart as they were always short. to get my work done I was working 16 hours a day. I found another job and gave my resignation.

Well I guess I'm lucky not to have to take the cart during the week. Unit managers or treatment nurse fill in. We are lucky to have very few call outs. Maybe due to the fact that we have Baylor weekends. But I agree, MDS nurses "get no respect" mainly in the sense that they HAVE NO IDEA what we really do. Sometimes I wish there was money in the budget so that each nurse could shadow us for a day or two....... I'm on call this coming weekend and already keeping my fingers crossed....

I'll cross my fingers for you too,Bedpan76... ! The other staff think MDS is a "cushy" job...I really wish they could shadow me for a few days and let's not forget allllllll... the meetings,the fall prevention committee,pain meeting,caretracker meetings,mandatory inservices,the DON..."I'm disappointed in all of youooo" meetings....If there is any time left I might be able to squeeze in my care plan meetings for the two units I covered.

What is a Baylor weekend, Bedpan? LOL I'll say a pray for you this weekend to. I love that shadow idea. I figured it out, I have to attend 3 days full of meetings every week. Leaving me 2 days to do my MDS job, and they recently were kind enough to give me, Case Management of Insured and Cut letters contact. Lucky me....dont all of you be jealouse now....:redpinkhe

Hi Debbie, Baylor is 12 hour shifts on Sat. and Sun. with pay for 36 hrs w/ full time benefits....

Having an MDS coordinator take call is standard practice. The facilities consider most MDS coordinators department heads and most of the department heads take turns being the the facility on the weekend. If a facility is under 100 beds sometimes the only RN's employed are the DON and MDS coordinator so the DON and MDS coordinator take turns taking call. Unfortunalty this goes along with the teritiory. I know its hard when you have to make MDS's your priority and they are time sensitive.

One in 6 for me. They are very good about finding staff for the floor. I am well protected in general as they like the MDS stuff done timely and correctly.

I am on call every 4th week for 24/7 for the week. I would have to come in if absolutely needed and I have also helped cover 1/2 shifts from nocs into days if we are short noc nurses. I dont get paid extra cause i am salaried but i will try and leave early ie if i start at 3 am then i try to leave at noon. if i cant that day then i leave early another day. where it gets really frustrating is when state is in the building as i am required to stay as long as they are in the building one time i started at 4 am and because of the number of assessments i needed to complete i couldnt leave early. and when i was trying to leave at 4 the state walked in they stayed until almost 11 pm that night needless to say at the time i lived over an hour from work and i knew they would be back by 7 and i was on call so i spent the night trying to sleep in the therapy office. (staff trying to be cute and funny because it was april first woke me at 3 am saying state was back) other than this i love my job 99% of the time

I was on call this past weekend and had to go in at 7 pm on Sat. to pass the hs meds for one hall (30 residents). Could have been worse if I had had to stay all night...But now I'm good for another 4 weeks. I know how it is when state comes. Had to cancel doctor's appts. etc. And they are due in my facility any day now......

hi all, my facility also has "baylor" weeekends. we have nurses that work only those 2 twelve hour shifts, and still can't seem to make it to work when scheduled! i am on call every 5th week(including the weekend). have worked more weekends now, than when i rotated every other, as a floor nurse!! no extra pay, as salaried also. using the words of rodney dangerfield...we get no respect!